Top 30 for 2023: The players who will define Clemson's season

A potential run to a first College Football Playoff in three seasons will have a number of key contributors.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Jun 29 07:00:16 GMT-04:00 2023

With less than 30 days until the preseason interviews start rolling in, it’s time for us to look at the important players and games for the 2023 Clemson football season. We will start with the players and a look at the Top 30 Tigers set to impact this season.

This list uses a few factors – the depth chart being the most important part – but also how valuable that player is to the team, how much depth is at that spot and how much that player will contribute this season.

We have discussed this list back and forth. For example, we wondered what to do with the receivers. I would assume that out of three starting spots, there will be four players that dominate the snaps in Beaux Collins, Antonio Williams, Cole Turner, and Adam Randall. Based on things we’ve heard, our guess is that Collins and Williams will be locked in as starters while Turner and Randall will rotate at the other spot. Why just three spots? Because tight end Jake Briningstool will be a big-time weapon and take a lot of snaps.

We will start the countdown today with Nos. 30, 29, and 28.

Top 30 Tigers for 2023

NO. 30, TJ PARKER, DEFENSIVE END

Clemson will have one of the more talented defensive lines in the country this fall. But it’s a defensive line heavy on the defensive tackles and light on the ends (you see what I did there?). The sudden departure of graduate senior Greg Williams leaves the Tigers without a lot of experience at the defensive end spots.

Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll have over 2400 defensive snaps between the two of them, but after that? Cade Denhoff has 20 career snaps and Zaire Patterson has played in one game (on special teams) in two years. Jahiem Lawson also appeared on special teams last season against UNC in the ACC Championship Game. That leaves freshmen like Parker, AJ Hoffler, and David Ojiegbe to take up the slack.

Based on what we heard during the spring, Parker will earn a ton of snaps this season and provide valuable depth at the end spot. Head coach Dabo Swinney called Parker a gifted player during the spring.

“A naturally gifted player,” Swinney said. “The fact he’s been able to come in here and get this whole spring is really going to help him just have a clear vision of what it looks like and what he needs to come back in August the best version of himself at this point. If he’ll do that, he’s going to be a good one.”

NO. 29, JEADYN LUKUS, CB

When it comes to pure athletic ability, Lukus might be the best athlete in the cornerbacks room. He stands 6-2 and weighs just under 200 pounds, can run with anybody, and jump out of a gym. His health has been the issue, however.

He missed most of the 2022 spring after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He then injured the labrum in his left shoulder last year and had surgery in late March to correct that issue. He told us during the spring that he played through the pain as the Tigers dealt with depth issues at the corner spot.

He enters 2023 having recorded six tackles, a tackle for loss and an ACC Championship Game interception in 87 defensive snaps over 11 games as a freshman.

The timing of the surgery is critical – he won’t be able to resume football workouts until August when fall camp begins. Thus, the decision to participate in half of the spring.

“Just competing for a spot. It’s the only reason,” Lukus said. “Just getting the install (of the defense) and all of that and then competing for a job really.”

The expected starters at corner are Nate Wiggins and Sheridan Jones, but Lukus and Toriano Pride will provide valuable depth at the corner spot, where coach Mike Reed likes to make liberal substitutions.

NO. 28, MITCHELL MAYES, OL

Clemson’s offensive line rotation would appear to be set in….butter. Injuries have derailed the seasons of a few players the last few seasons, and Tristan Leigh will likely take his first snaps as a starter at the all-important left tackle spot.

But after left guard Marcus Tate went down with an injury late in the season, it was Mayes who stepped in and picked up the slack. Mayes played a career-high 405 offensive snaps over 11 games (four starts) and started four of the team’s final five games, the first at right guard and the last three at left guard.

At the time of his signing, Mayes was ranked as the No. 14 overall player in the nation by ESPN.com, which also called him the No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation and No. 2 player from the state of North Carolina. He played 61 snaps his first season, saw that jump to 103 in 2021 and then those 405 snaps last season.

Swinney said all Mayes needed was a shot of confidence.

“Mitchell’s made some big strides. He really gained a lot of confidence,” Swinney said during the spring. “I think that was the biggest thing for him was just confidence, and he gained a lot of confidence those last four games of the season.”